A piece of wedding cake more than forty years old might not be everyone's dream purchase but for one bidder in Leeds, it's the ultimate auction coup.
A mystery internet buyer from the city has purchased a slice of the Prince and Princess of Wales wedding cake at auction, paying top dollar for the slab - which features a marzipan base and a large piece of icing emblazoned with a sugared onlay of the royal crest.
The bidder forked out nearly £2,000 for the extra mature slice, which comes from one of 23 official wedding cakes released when Charles and Dianna got married in 1981. A serious amount of money to spend on a cake that you (probably) can't actually eat.
The cake was stored wrapped in clingfilm in a floral tin for years / Image: Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
The slice was originally given to Moya Smith, who was a member of the Queen Mother's household in residence at Clarence House at the time of the wedding.
She'd begun her career in the kitchen, before moving on to more general duties in the household at the suggestion of Lady Jean Rankin.
Moya preserved the topping with cling film, before storing it in an old floral cake tin labelled "Handle with Care - Prince Charles & Princess Diane's (sic) Wedding Cake" and dated 29/7/81, where it then sat for quite a few years before being sold by her family to a collector in 2008.
Since being sold in 2008, the cake came up for auction once again - this time around the time of what would've been the couple's 40th wedding anniversity.
The fourty-year-old royal wedding cake slice went under the hammer in Gloucestershire on Wednesday, and was initially expected to go for somewhere between £300 and £500.
However, auctioneers were pleasantly surprised to find a huge amount of interest in the cake - which ended up in a flurry of bigs that pushed the final sale price to £1,850.
"We were amazed at the numbers of people wanting to bid on this large and unique piece of royal cake icing," said Chris Albury, of Dominic Winter Auctioneer.
"It seemed to get far more attention than when we sold it with a Charles & Diana thank you letter 13 years ago.
"There were lots of inquiries from bidders, mostly in the UK, USA and several countries in the Middle East.
It's thought that the slice up for auction comes either from the side of a cake, or from the top of a single-tier cake / Image: Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
"The bidding started at £300 and with commission bids, the internet and phone bidding, quickly rose to the winning price of £1,850.
"It was bought by an internet bidder in Leeds.
"As yet we haven't had a chance to speak to them to get a reaction or ask why they bought it, but it seems that this was an irresistible piece of royal memorabilia history for many."
Prince Charles and Lady Dianna married in 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29 and had a total of 23 wedding cakes at the ceremony.
The couple's centrepiece cake was a five-tiered creation, but there were also some 22 other cakes supplied for the occasion by various bakers.
The cake was sold with a printed ceremonial and order of service programmes for the wedding, as well as a memorial Royal Wedding Breakfast programme for Buckingham Palace.
Feature image - Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
News
Netflix to release new Lucy Letby documentary with ‘unprecedented access’ next month
Netflix is set to air a new documentary about the investigation of Lucy Letby, and the trailer has now been released.
The feature-length film about Lucy Letby - the infamous neonatal nurse who was found guilty of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder seven others under her care at the Countess of Chester Hospital - hears for the first time from the police officers who investigated the case that shook the nation.
It features never-before-seen footage of Letby during her arrests and police questioning, and even includes interviews with experts and lawyers on both sides, as well as with the hospital consultants who initially raised the alarm.
Tragically, it also includes an anonymised interview with a mother of one of the victims, who also speaks for the first time about her experience and involvement in Letby’s trial.
Produced as a result of years of research and relationship-building, the film - simply titled The Investigation of Lucy Letby - is described as being the most 'comprehensive' look at one of Britain's most notorious crimes, and traces developments from her arrest to trial in chronological order.
Viewers will be given 'unparalleled and exclusive access' to those central to the story.
"This was an exceptional and demanding project, marked by significant creative and ethical responsibility," commented director, Dominic Sivyer. "Our aim was to craft a powerful, emotionally resonant depiction of the events surrounding the case."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x93eZD1F4vs
Caroline Short, Head of Global TV at ITN Productions - who produced the documentary - added: "The access to all our contributors came with a huge responsibility to present everyone's perspectives with care and understanding.
"We are grateful to all those people who trusted us to tell their story."
The Investigation of Lucy Letby will be released and available to stream on Netflix in the UK and Ireland on 4 February 2026.
Featured Image - Cheshire Police
News
Arctic Monkeys release first song in four years as part of upcoming all-star War Child album
Clementine Hall
The full track list for the charity album has been released, featuring Fontaines D.C., Pulp, Olivia Rodrigo and loads more.
The legendary Sheffield indie group have been largely silent (as usual) since the release of their last album, The Car, back in 2022.
But today, the monkeys are back with a brand new song titled 'Opening Night' , in support of War Child's upcoming project to provide aid for children living through war.
That project being 'HELP(2)' - a brand new collaborative album inspired by the landmark 1995 release 'HELP' to engage music lovers globally in support of the charity's vital work.
The new album will be released on Friday 6 March and was brought to life through close collaboration with Abbey Road Studios, recorded predominantly across one extraordinary week in November 2025 under the stewardship of acclaimed producer James Ford.
There's so me pretty huge names on the album who have contributed, including Fontaines D.C, Pulp, Damon Albarn, Wet Leg, Young Fathers and so many more.
Recorded in a single day in 1995, the original ‘HELP’ album raised over £1.2 million, enabling War Child to provide vital support to thousands of children caught in the Bosnian conflict.
The full track list to the album is: ‘HELP(2)’ Tracklist:
Arctic Monkeys - Opening Night
Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten & Kae Tempest - Flags
Black Country, New Road - Strangers
The Last Dinner Party - Let’s do it again!
Beth Gibbons - Sunday Morning
Arooj Aftab & Beck - Lilac Wine
King Krule - The 343 Loop
Depeche Mode - Universal Soldier
Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng - Helicopters
Arlo Parks - Nothing I Could Hide
English Teacher & Graham Coxon - Parasite
Beabadoobee - Say Yes
Big Thief - Relive, Redie
Fontaines D.C. - Black Boys on Mopeds
Cameron Winter - Warning
Young Fathers - Don’t Fight the Young
Pulp - Begging for Change
Sampha - Naboo
Wet Leg - Obvious
Foals - When the War is Finally Done
Bat For Lashes - Carried my girl
Anna Calvi, Ellie Rowsell, Nilüfer Yanya & Dove Ellis - Sunday Light
Olivia Rodrigo - The Book of Love
You can pre-order the album here and listen to the new song by the Arctic Monkeys here.
Georgina Pellant -
12th August 2021 
